Stretching is important for before and after workouts because as noted by Anderson (2020, p. 11) “Why stretch – Reduce muscle tension and make body feel more relaxed-Help coordination by allowing for freer and easier movement-Increase range of motion-Help prevent injuries such as muscle strains (A strong flexible, pre-stretched muscle resists stress better than a strong, stiff, unstretched muscle)….”
As mentioned above the go to stretching book for decades has been Stretching by Bob Anderson, which reached its 40th anniversary with the present edition. There are many other sources easily available, such as Yoga on You Tube or Kanopy, and many books at the library or online.
The two main types of stretching are dynamic stretching and static stretching. Dynamic is done mostly before workouts to warm up and static is done mainly afterward in the cool down time. Here is an example of dynamic stretching from Brad Kearns on You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ximZfmqh2hI
As shown by Brad these dynamic motions warm up the muscles with movements used in many sports.
The static stretch used mainly after workouts is slow and constant with the position held for 15 to 30 seconds. See below for some static stretches:
